Reports of individuals and organisations gaining unauthorized access to the personal details of voters in the run-up to the general elections due next week are deeply unsettling. This is gross violation that must be treated with great suspicion with a view to come hard on whoever is engaged in such practices with a view to deter any other such violation and infringement in future.
The group behind the Fanon app, for example- the one alleged to have been collecting and exposing voter location data and details under the guise of election transparency and vote protection, who gave them the right to put out voters’ data like that? When we were enrolling as voters, eligible Ugandans willingly went to the centers designated for the purpose to register or update their information. We didn’t go to Fanon. Our information was entrusted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for the purpose of inclusion on the voter register. How did Fanon come into the picture? Whom did Fanon reach out to ask for that information and on what terms? There is a problem somewhere. Had they reached out to us for information, I would have been first to cooperate in the interest of providing information to make our elections better, but no such effort is on record.
This may not be the only such group harvesting the data, for whatever purpose, but they are capitalising on elections to engage in data piracy which exposes Ugandans to huge risks, including hacking.
It’s like removing the doors and roof of your house for everybody to look in and start stealing your property. Harvesting data online is big business which unscrupulous persons are cashing on big time while endangering the privacy of citizens. Why does Fanon usurp the role of managing voter information? A third party intervening without engaging individual voters to agree on terms is criminal. At the very least, it takes set “terms and conditions” of use and a consent form signed by voters allowing their data to be used or shared.
If Fanon accessed the records illegally, it means that the information of Ugandans hasn’t been adequately protected and that should be rectified while the “pirates” should be caused to pay heavily for the breach. In case anyone gave away the records willingly for pay or for purposes of compromising the elections, that’s worse. You can’t play about with democracy like that, selling Ugandans like cows. Anybody who gains access to details of the masses without seeking their consent cannot be striving for democratic transparency.
I am prepared to go to court to challenge anybody who may have accessed my voter registration details when I didn’t agree with them on anything. If they wanted such information from Ugandans, they should have independently collected their own data from the ground and built an independent register. What exists now is “privileged property”. It cost public money to assemble.
It’s a very sensitive document that must be stored, transmitted and used in a way that doesn’t compromise its integrity and exclusivity. Every voter appearing on the register reserves rights that should also be protected. Why should anyone know where I am going to vote from? When I was registering, what was their contribution? For purposes of clarifying where one votes, a vote locator slip has been provided by the EC for that purpose and that should clarify many things without the need for agents of confusion.
This relates to the matter of Starlink, the internet service provider whose gadgets were recently found in use illegally in the country. Many digital users don’t seem to understand the danger that digital systems pose when not regulated. They may be convenient, efficient, cost effective and fun but there is an underbelly with very spiky repercussions. No sane person is against adoption of modern means of communication and engagement but the mode of use matters. The more you are wired up, the bigger your digital footprint which can be used to your detriment. Spyware is a threat that everybody on the internet should be most concerned with at all times. It is one of the worst disadvantages of the digital age. Every click or upload online is an invitation for prying eyes into your personal database and protected space. Before you know, you are a slave of the internet lords, having unknowingly handed them the keys to your every move and transaction.
The rights of citizens online, against unauthorised access, use, manipulation and harassment are a priority call for us and we are ready to take on those trying to exploit the vulnerability of the common user. We shall use the law, we shall reach out to owners of digital platforms, we shall raise the alarm every time we see someone misusing our data without express permission and clarity. Going into the general elections, we are watching keenly!
Email: atuhairwe_robert@yahoo.com